AI eroding students’ critical thinking – UNILAG VC
September 15, 2026 1:22 am
Photo: Gemini AI
The Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof Folasade Ogunsola, has warned that the growing use of artificial intelligence by students could allow them to bypass the learning process and undermine the development of critical thinking.
Ogunsola said while AI had enormous potential to transform education, its unregulated use could result in students completing academic tasks without acquiring the knowledge and intellectual skills those tasks were designed to develop.
The UNILAG VC spoke during the 8th Lagos State University Research and Innovation Fair, with the theme, “Accelerating National Development through Artificial Intelligence-Driven Research and Innovation,” held at LASU, Ojo, Lagos.
Ogunsola stressed that the core responsibility of universities was to develop students’ ability to think clearly, logically and critically, noting that the struggle involved in solving problems was essential to developing the human mind.
She said, “Our job is to teach minds to think, and a mind that is not challenged cannot think, because the struggle of working things out is what makes a mind think that builds critical analysis, not giving it out to AI.
“We’re beginning to recognise that it might bypass learning, that the students may come into school and leave at the end having not learnt.
“ChatGPT, Gemini and others may be leading to erosion of critical thinking and learning skills. Overdependence on AI is not good for brain development, so there have to be guardrails with AI use.”
According to her, the challenge facing educators was no longer whether to allow AI in education, but how to ensure that students used the technology as a learning aid rather than a substitute for thinking.
She said, “There is nothing wrong with using AI for schoolwork if it is assisting. But if it has taken over, then there are challenges.
“Students should not seed their brain to AI but use it as an assistant. Using AI does not make you more skilful.”
Ogunsola noted that AI could access knowledge, recall facts and execute processes faster than humans, making it difficult for institutions to police its use, particularly because students could access the technology through their mobile phones.
She, however, said banning AI was not a sustainable solution, urging universities to develop teaching and assessment methods capable of determining what students had actually learnt.
“Right now, what I see in many places is: so what can we do? How do we do it? Because the students are far ahead of the faculty; they have engaged more. Ninety-four per cent of AI-generated research may go undetected,” she noted.
Consequently, Ogunsola said universities would have to redefine the skills they expected students to develop, as AI was increasingly capable of performing tasks traditionally regarded as demonstrations of intelligence.
She said, “If we’re going to really start to ensure that the next generation is thinking, we cannot ban AI, but we must find ways to ensure that they use AI to learn, and we have methods to know what they have learned and to force them to think.”
Ogunsola cited examples to demonstrate that AI could improve learning when appropriately integrated into education, but warned that institutions must guard against its misuse.
She identified other risks associated with AI in education as “academic integrity violations, inaccurate information or hallucinations, data privacy concerns, intellectual property issues, digital inequality and possible job losses.”
She said Nigeria could not afford to reject AI because the technology was already widely used by students and could help the country address challenges including shortages of teachers and other skilled professionals.
Ogunsola therefore called for clear guidelines and innovative assessment methods that would ensure students continued to develop independent thinking while using AI as a tool for learning.
Another plenary speaker and ex-Vice-Chancellor of Covenant University, Prof Adebayo Abiodun, stressed that institutions must develop AI policies to guide its use by students and staff.
He noted that AI was beneficial in decision-making, enhancing productivity and gaining data-driven insights, but noted that it would not replace humans.
Adebayo called for town-and-gown collaboration, stressing that institutions should integrate AI tools to enhance their operations.
Adebayo said, “We need to begin to collaborate with corporate bodies on sensitisation among professionals. The town and gown need to be very strong in collaboration; there should be no disconnect between the university and the professional world.
“There should be huge investment by government on AI materials and making AI platforms free and accessible to all users in this regard, and integrating AI tools to assist rather than replace workers.”
Outgoing Vice-Chancellor, LASU, Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, said the fair afforded an opportunity for innovators to showcase innovations that address the needs of today’s world.
She said, “For LASU, this means going beyond adopting AI as a tool. It means asking how our research can use it to solve distinctly Nigerian problems, how our scholars can work across disciplines, how our students can participate meaningfully in an AI-enabled economy, and how partnerships with governments and industry can take research from conception to application.”
Chairman of the occasion and Chairman of the LASU Governing Council, Babatunde Ogala (SAN), said the conference was aimed at seeking solutions to accelerate national development.
Represented by a member of the council, Taiwo Atolagbe, he highlighted the importance of Nigeria engaging with AI transformation responsibly and purposefully.
He also stressed the significance of interdisciplinary collaboration, student participation in an AI-enabled economy, and partnerships with government and industry.
The Chairman, Planning Committee for the fair, and Head, Directorate of Research Management and Innovation, Prof Adejuwon Adeneye, explained that the fair aimed at accelerating AI adoption across various sectors.
The fair, attended by several scholars, featured presentations of several papers on the efficient use of AI across various fields.
Olawale Franklin Akinselure is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with 12 years of experience covering education, politics, health, environment, judiciary, metro, and community beats. He specializes in producing insightful, wide-ranging reports that inform and engage readers. His reporting reflects practical newsroom experience, editorial insight, and a dedication to accurate, reliable journalism.
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